how long do you guys make your sword leaders

[TITLEWAVE]

how long do you guys make your sword leaders ? and what Pound test do most of you use to rig it .


Thanks ahead of time.

[quack quack]

200lb to 400lb mono.Length depends on you set up and personal preference.6ft if using windons up to 30ft for some guys.

[TITLEWAVE]

Originally Posted by quack quack

200lb to 400lb mono.Length depends on you set up and personal preference.6ft if using windons up to 30ft for some guys.

thanks for your input. I have been fishing with 15 ft leaders and noticed that some poeple are using longer and or less , just wondered the reasoning behind the long leader vrs short. I have been using a 3 way heavy duty barrel swivel attached to 15 ft of 250 pound leader. I have been putting the light directly on the swivel with a metal ring so it doesnt fall off like some have in the past using the longline clip. I had been attaching the weight to the bottom of the LP light with rubberbands. This past weekend i changed it up to 25 ft leader with the same swivel light set up , except i put the weight another 15 ft up from the light. Had two bites and caught one fish in the desoto canyon this last weekend. My only issue is we had to hand leader the fish up for the release instead of widing him up close. This Worries me when and if we get a monster wheather we would be able to leader it up with ease or not . So maybe the shorter leader might be better to use just have to figure out how to attach the light to the mainline where it doesnt fall off ?

[christopherkeene9]

Originally Posted by TITLEWAVE

thanks for your input. I have been fishing with 15 ft leaders and noticed that some poeple are using longer and or less , just wondered the reasoning behind the long leader vrs short. I have been using a 3 way heavy duty barrel swivel attached to 15 ft of 250 pound leader. I have been putting the light directly on the swivel with a metal ring so it doesnt fall off like some have in the past using the longline clip. I had been attaching the weight to the bottom of the LP light with rubberbands. This past weekend i changed it up to 25 ft leader with the same swivel light set up , except i put the weight another 15 ft up from the light. Had two bites and caught one fish in the desoto canyon this last weekend. My only issue is we had to hand leader the fish up for the release instead of widing him up close. This Worries me when and if we get a monster wheather we would be able to leader it up with ease or not . So maybe the shorter leader might be better to use just have to figure out how to attach the light to the mainline where it doesnt fall off ?

We used to use those long leaders but have no switched to Wind-ons w/ 8ft leaders. Lot safer.

[quack quack]

Put a heavy duty wax loopat the top of a windon and clip the light to that.It will not fall off and is easy to unsnap.Use a 25ft windon and a 6ft to 8ft leader.Congats on your fish.

[RiskTaker]

Titlewave:

You seem to be deploying a swordfishing configuration that I have heard called a Carribbean rig, where you utilize a strong 3-way swivel, or two swivels bonded together for a T-branch. This style seems to be utilized by some anglers in the GOM, but I seldom, if ever, have seen it used by fellow anglers fishing on the Florida East Coast, South Florida way.

The wind-on leader methodology seems to be gaining momentum and popularity among most of the swordfish anglers I fish with. There are a few that still despise these wind-ons, due to cited failures fo the wind-on leaders. (Not sure what their take is with Bananas onboard.) Others that prefer the long leader crimped to a BB swivel, (no-snaps), likely have a rich legacy of Marlin and tournament fishing experience under their belts, and having a leader-man is standard operating procedure.

The wind-on leader approach removes the requirement for the leader-man, although it is still an option if so desired. Consequently, you always hear that fishing with wind-on leaders is a much safer way to fish, (for the angler ). Plus two people can handle a fish, where 3 may otherwise be the required minimum.

I fish with a 200-300# wind-on that is in excess of 60 ft.
Reason: This provides the ability to interchange leader by loop-2-loop connection. The length was extended so that I can connect multiple longline clips to a heavier monofilament, rather than a thinner mainline. I do put two or three plastic sleeves on the wind-on. This provides additional diameter and chafe protection where I attach the weight and light with longline clips. I don't typically lose Electrolume lights by them simply falling off, but I have seen it happen before.

I still prefer to use heavy duty BB-Snap swivels, for convenience sake, instead of crimping directly to a simple swivel. But it would be no big deal to swtich over if an angler insisted on using the tried and true crimp-only connection.

6-7 ft. leaders using 300# mono is my preference for rigged squids to attach to the wind-on snap.

When fishing a live bait I'll crimp a BB-swivel hook directly to the wind-on, plain and simple. You could even do it that way with squid provided that you don't bury the swivel in the squid which could prevent free spin.

Good luck fishin.

[Verado06]

15-25 feet for me... if im using a windon, than a short 4-5 footer.

[kyle]

I fish the 3 way swivel with a 20 to 25 ft 250# leader. It just makes things way less cluttered on the line.
Put the weight on the bottom of the LP unsnap and your done.

[TITLEWAVE]

Originally Posted by RiskTaker

Titlewave:

You seem to be deploying a swordfishing configuration that I have heard called a Carribbean rig, where you utilize a strong 3-way swivel, or two swivels bonded together for a T-branch. This style seems to be utilized by some anglers in the GOM, but I seldom, if ever, have seen it used by fellow anglers fishing on the Florida East Coast, South Florida way.

The wind-on leader methodology seems to be gaining momentum and popularity among most of the swordfish anglers I fish with. There are a few that still despise these wind-ons, due to cited failures fo the wind-on leaders. (Not sure what their take is with Bananas onboard.) Others that prefer the long leader crimped to a BB swivel, (no-snaps), likely have a rich legacy of Marlin and tournament fishing experience under their belts, and having a leader-man is standard operating procedure.

The wind-on leader approach removes the requirement for the leader-man, although it is still an option if so desired. Consequently, you always hear that fishing with wind-on leaders is a much safer way to fish, (for the angler ). Plus two people can handle a fish, where 3 may otherwise be the required minimum.

I fish with a 200-300# wind-on that is in excess of 60 ft.
Reason: This provides the ability to interchange leader by loop-2-loop connection. The length was extended so that I can connect multiple longline clips to a heavier monofilament, rather than a thinner mainline. I do put two or three plastic sleeves on the wind-on. This provides additional diameter and chafe protection where I attach the weight and light with longline clips. I don't typically lose Electrolume lights by them simply falling off, but I have seen it happen before.

I still prefer to use heavy duty BB-Snap swivels, for convenience sake, instead of crimping directly to a simple swivel. But it would be no big deal to swtich over if an angler insisted on using the tried and true crimp-only connection.

6-7 ft. leaders using 300# mono is my preference for rigged squids to attach to the wind-on snap.

When fishing a live bait I'll crimp a BB-swivel hook directly to the wind-on, plain and simple. You could even do it that way with squid provided that you don't bury the swivel in the squid which could prevent free spin.

Good luck fishin.

Thank you for your advise as it has me re-thinking my rig as i write. I already have this type set up going on almost all of my trolling rigs using spectra backing and topshots/windons made by BHP tackle up north. I just havent spooled up my 4 swordfishing rods with spectra backing yet, and never thought of using a 300lbs windons. I guess i could take some mono off and use a bimini twist/nail knot to attach a 60 or 70 yard windon till i get them set up with spectra so i can use a loop to loop connection.

[RiskTaker]

Originally Posted by kyle

I fish the 3 way swivel with a 20 to 25 ft 250# leader. It just makes things way less cluttered on the line.
Put the weight on the bottom of the LP unsnap and your done.

Kyle:

I think I understand the way you are rigging, but I am not sure of the reasons why? Yes indeed, I will rig a weight attached to the bottom of the electrolume, as a single fixture. (I have not found a reason why it is better to have a three way junction versus a two way; although, I can relate to the idea if you have a live bait swimming about a weight at a vertical junction.) I am listening for reasons of the 3-way junction if it is better than the in-line method. Anybody?

It is convenient indeed, to have weight and light combined! But I have at least one reason to separate the light, from the weight. So, this is the way that most of the rigs get deployed. If we fish together we can talk about the reasons why.

I am certainly not the most astute swordfisherman, as I pretty much lay it on the table, as I see it. As always, I would like to engage in constructive dialogue that will enable us to fish better. I will instigate and give a high five, and a Ya-mon to that principle.

Titlewave:

I have observered your thinking in writing. It is great that you are evaluating your rigging method, and all. A few comments that I need to add, which may simplify your life are:

I use hollow core spectra line as my base line, no top shot if you will, connected directly to the wind-on leader. This simplifies the whole equation. (Which I think you may have co-mingled with a top-shop idea plus a wind-on.) SIMPLIFY, and focus! If you have have a better idea, by all means explain.

So, in other words, from base of spool, is hollow core spectra up to near the top, connected loop to loop with the wind-on leader of your choice. That's it!

Bada Bing! Oh, forgot the hook. Well, that is from fishing 101.